An Eternity for Life
by Parariillusion
Summary: What was Seth thinking in the ancient past when he battled Atem, the pharaoh? What were his motives? And how did Atem feel about his half-brother fighting against him? One shot. Rated just in case.


"Atem."

That was the first word he had ever heard, or remembered hearing. His half-brother's name. His lover, his enemy, his rival, his adoration. Love is truly blind, for fate would never have arranged a love like this. Forbidden, utterly forbidden. But how perfect. He was a master of the shadows, commanding them to become wraiths of his hate and love. There was no end to his monsters, for his love and hate were endless; they were a hole that he kept falling in, was falling in, and will always fall, tumbling into the dark/light of knowledge of love and hate. Love is hate, hate is love; right is wrong, wrong is right. That was why he was doing this. No other reason could explain it.

"I am not working for Him," was his answer. No, he worked for no one except for Atem, that golden prince, the Dark One that held within his grasp his heart, and squeezed it.

Love is intangible, people say. He used to wonder what love was. But when he tried to answer what his love for Atem was, all he released to the empty air was, "Love is..."

He gave his entire being to his hate, his envy. He hated him for taking away the throne. He, Seth, was the first son, but no, his mother was a passing pleasure for the all-powerful former Pharaoh, a mere priestess. Yes, she was only the embodiment of a goddess, the most beautiful. Isis. But because the queen became jealous of Isis's beauty, her name became Ishizu, a defilement of the goddess.

Often, he had been mistaken for Isis's lover, for his mother's beauty was such that it never aged, and priests were known to lie with priestesses. This year, she was passing her thirty-second year.

"But then...why, my brother? Why?"

Why? Because he loved everything about Atem. He needed his body, his soul, his throne, everything that belonged to him.

But everything he wanted was forbidden to him. Seth, the High Priest, had everything yet nothing.

I want you, was Seth's secret answer. I need you. I need your power, your vitality, your love.

But all he did was attack. "Blue Eyes!" Seth cried, placing power in the stone tablet to bring his ultimate monster to life. As the dragon entered the human world, its skin shimmered blue and emanated a cold aura that made even the usually weather-resistant pharaoh shiver.

How Seth wanted to hold him, absorb all the cold and darkness. All in due time.

And then the battle ended. His love won, as he always secretly knew it world.

But instead, he saw Atem standing victorious over him. Seth wanted him to kneel at his feet, obeisance to his master. And he wanted to hold him, raise him to his feet and embrace him, the two as one. He wanted everything particle of his being. His longing hurt him; he could feel the physical pain.

He saw words forming on his Pharaoh's mouth, but could not hear them.

He felt the darkness within him consume him. He tried to call out to the Pharaoh a mixture of "I love you" and "I hate you." But most of all, "I need you."

He felt part of him leave his body. It hurt like no other, but it gave him certainty and hope for the future. There was nothing else that mattered. Fate is kind; there is always a second chance.

- - - - - - - -

My magicians surround him, chanting an undecipherable language, in phrases that are harbingers of doom. An eye appeared on Seth's forehead, showing him to be a descendent of the royal line. It will be his doom.

A line of light cloaked by shadow reached from the rod, shivering within the grasp of Seth's two hands, and hit the center of Seth's forehead. He cries out in pain.

My heart aches; it hurts. But I hate him. There is no other one I hate more.

No, I do not hate him. I pity him. And he will hate me for that.

He wants everything I have except for myself. There is a certain loneliness in the knowledge that you are unwanted, even if you have everything you could ever want.

There is a desire nagging in the back of my mind. Or maybe it is my heart; but I ignore it.

I am the king. I am supreme.

I weave a pattern in the air with my hands, my soul emanating from my fingertips.

The desire is so overwhelming that I am amazed that fire does not enflame my being. It grows from my spirit that place within my soul that is never lost to the world. I know now what I need to do, for not doing it will ruin the future. I must save the future.

At least that is what I tell myself, but I know it is because it is what I desire.

Eternity. Live in eternity within your own world, my dear cousin. Until you are released from your bonds to fulfill your destiny...once again. With me.

Live, and live again, for this eternity will last.

AN: Vague, I know, but it's meant to be that way. This may be what some of my (future) YuGiOh fanfics is based on. At least, this is the basic concept. If you didn't know (if you didn't know you're stupid), the person before the break is Seth (Kaiba) and after is Atem (Yami Yuugi). Interpret it your own way. Review to let me know what your interpretation is!


End file.
